


Babysitters

by cockabeetle, Kymopoleia



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Multi, Redemption AU, clockwork meddles where he probably shouldnt, dan is a large puppy, sam and tucker are his keepers, sorta like a reverse ultimate enemy, the sam and tucker in this au lost their danny when they were 14
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-02
Updated: 2015-07-02
Packaged: 2018-04-07 09:26:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4258131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cockabeetle/pseuds/cockabeetle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kymopoleia/pseuds/Kymopoleia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I can't believe this. You're just going to let him destroy another world, aren't you? Or are you going to leave him there long enough for them to realize that they actually don't want him, then break his heart? Either you're doing something crazy or something evil, and I don't like the sound of either one. Get me out of here."</p><p>"The best thing for the timeline isn't always the most clear choice to an outside observer, Miss Grey." Clockwork reminds her softly. He shifts to his old shape. "Perhaps at least you will be able to recognize that I know what I'm doing when it comes to my job, hmm?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Babysitters

Many people believed Time flowed like a river; from point A to point B with a few whorls and off-shooting streams, but otherwise a very uniform journey. That is not exactly how it goes, though it is close. One would think, with the river analogy, that Time being fluid and in constant motion and change would be universally understood. That is not the case. Clockwork doesn't have to check on every little different path, every little change, but he does check on the ones who worry him, or who he knows become important. He can see all of Time at once, even if he can't see his own future. Anything twining with his own becomes a blank void, but that in itself alerts him that someone is coming. He's watching an alternate path, one where things went right and wrong in different places than both the main and paradoxical universes, simply observing the remains of the Fenton Household.

Valerie didn't like going into the Ghost Zone, she never had, but sometimes it was necessary. She is on her hoverboard, in her uniform, mask pulled on and thermos clipped to a belt. She knows the ghosts respect her enough to stay away, but don't appreciate her presence. When she reaches the citadel and Clockwork, she pulls around to hover a foot or so off the ground, watching the back of his head warily. He had been an ally since the first time she'd met him, and now he had Dan locked in a thermos, but she's still concerned. She hovers for a moment, waiting for him to acknowledge her, then takes the opportunity to speak first.  
"How is Phantom? Still keeping him locked up, right, so that he can't cause trouble? Rebuilding efforts are going well, but there are still concerns about whether he can break out."

Clockwork turns slowly, smiling. He flickers from his old shape to his young. "I have been keeping an eye on Dan for as long as needed. I do have other duties to attend. It's rather fortunate you are here, Miss Grey. May I ask you a... favor?"

She lowers the hoverboard to look him in the eye, pulling back the mask. "What kind of favor?"

"I've found it might be easier to control Dan if we give him something to strive for, a reason to repent, as it were." Clockwork's shape flickers and changes to his young adult stage. "He is in a collar that will stop all but the most involuntary of his powers, that being flight and shapeshifting. He might be able to make his hands glow, but do try to keep him from getting angry."

"And what are you wanting me to do? I'm never bringing him back to my time, I promised too many people that the monster under their beds was gone for good." She narrows her eyes, crossing her arms. "I'm not making a liar out of myself, not for some last ditch attempt at a second chance for a monster."

"No, my dear, never do I want to bring him back to your Amity. I was thinking a different one; I just recently found a piece of the Timeline that diverges differently, and I would like you to watch him while he learns of his incentive. Mrs. Manson-Fenton and Mr. Foley-Fenton will surely be glad to help the two of you, Miss Grey." He smiles, as his shape flickers back to his old one. He offers a ring. "This controls Dan's collar, and allows you to jolt him whenever you see fit, will you make sure he does no civilians harm?"

She smirks as she slips it on and easily finds the notch on the side that shocks him and presses it. There's a pained screech from the thermos not on her hip, and she nods. "I'll do it. Does he need a medallion too, or will the thermos work for getting him there and out?"

"His collar serves the purpose of a medallion. So long as he is in contact with a collar or someone holding a collar, he will stay where he is. You will need a medallion, though." Clockwork admits.

"Understood. Do they work the same as last time?" She asks, holding a hand out for Dan's thermos.

Clockwork nods. "Yes. The portal to the Timeline in question is behind me, you can choose to let him out here or there, I don't particularly care."

She goes and grabs a medallion and throws it around her neck and pulls the mask back on. "I'll wait. Will it let me out in front of Manson and Foley, or do I need to scout and find them?"

"I was checking in on them, so unless they and the rest of the Fentons left the park, they should be just ahead of you." Clockwork smiles. "Good luck, Miss Grey."

She nods and braces herself on the hoverboard, going through. There's the familiar strange feeling of going through, but then she's out and hovering behind the Fentons and Sam and Tucker. Older Fentons and Sam and Tucker. "Manson. Foley. I have something for you." She calls, opening the thermos. She immediately shocks Dan with the ring to try and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, and because she likes the pained noise he makes, but doesn't do anything beyond that but hover.

Sam and Tucker jolt, whirling around at the voice. Before they can register much, there's another person kneeling on the ground in front of them.

Dan yelps, when he's shocked by the collar immediately upon release. He wants to snarl and growl at Clockwork for it, but Clockwork isn't here, he isn't even /in/ the citadel. He sees Tucker- Sam and Jazmine and Jack and Maddie too- and he immediately shifts into his Danny disguise. A tiny 14 year old Danny Fenton is sitting in front of them, staring up at them with wide eyes. He glances back to see Valerie behind him, and flinches away from her.

Valerie sneers at Dan before realizing that he can't see it, and shakes her head. "Clockwork wants this to be a learning experience. Incentive to learn from your mistakes," She pauses to pull up her hands and make exaggerated quotation marks. "And 'repent' for your actions."

Tucker had been holding Sam's hand, but at seeing Danny he lets go and stares, wide eyed, starting to tear up. He turns to glance at her, just for a second, asking silently if she's seeing him too.

Sam covers her mouth, staring down at Danny, it has to be Danny, she looks at Tucker, and then she looks back at Danny. "Oh my god..."

Dan stares up at them, before looking back at Valerie. "Incentive? Really? I wouldn't have ever thought /you'd/ take that approach, Huntress." He sneers, using Danny's voice rather than his own. Feels safer, in this company.

"Oh, trust me, I didn't. I just wanted to see you fail and ruin yourself again. We're rebuilding, you know? It's beautiful, and you will never get to see it." She laughs softly, shifting her stance. "But don't spend all your time talking to me, not with your friends staring."

Tucker can't stop himself from moving forward and going to his knees in front of Danny, putting his hands on his shoulders. Behind him, the Fentons are looking wary and uncomfortable, but he doesn't care, because his best friend is right there. "Danny?"

Dan looks back, then, and... smiles a little at Tucker. He doesn't really know why, but he feels good and safe right now, not angry or hurt or scared like he did the last time he saw his 'friends'. He shouldn't feel safe, considering the Huntress was at his back. "Hey, Tuck." He doesn't move his hands.

Sam presses her hands to her mouth a little harder. "It's really you?"

Tucker looks Danny over. His eyes look different, but otherwise everything is the same. Tucker pulls him into a hug, and Danny is so warm. "You're back, aren't you? We gave up, man. It's been so long."

Dan leans into the contact a little, not sure what to say. "It's... complicated." He says instead of answering. 

Jazz, hands on her hips and eyes narrowed, finally speaks up. "You and the Red Huntress up there aren't telling us something."

Tucker hears Jazz, and opens his eyes to look up at the woman on the hoverboard. It takes him a moment to place it and remember, but then his eyebrows furrow. "Val?"

Valerie shocks Dan. "That's a civilian, Phantom. Back. Up."

Dan pulls back, standing up and putting his hands behind his back, where he knows Valerie can see them. "Alright, alright, jeez Huntress. Calm your tits." He groans, voice dipping into his own rather than using the one that matched his current face. It was a little hard to remember to hold the charade. 

Jazz frowns, and looks up at Valerie, too. "Don't shock him! That's rude!"

"If you knew what he's done, you'd do the same thing, Jazz." Valerie replies, giving him another short shock. "And that's for attitude, Phantom."

Tucker stands up, fists tightening. "Valerie, what's going on, what happened? Why do you have Danny and why are you hurting him?"

Dan flinches, growling low, and the fangs come back slowly. He breathes out carefully through his nose and refuses to speak. 

"It doesn't matter what he's done, Valerie! He's a person, he has /rights/! You're treating him like a dog!"

"We aren't here for me." She says simply, lowering the hoverboard and going into something closer to a crouch. "And I'm not staying long, show Phantom something he can beg pretty for."

Dan snarls low in his throat, eyes flashing red and glaring at her. "The way you're talkin', Val, it sounds like you still want a piece of me. I thought you hated me~?" He purrs.

"Beg for? What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, I want a piece of you. A lot of pieces of you. Strung up and lit up from the memorial to city hall, honoring everyone you killed and everyone's life that you destroyed." She practically growls back at him.

Tucker steps forward, in front of Danny. "I don't know what you're talking about, Valerie, but just, please tell us what's going on."

"She's tryin' to make a point. I did things that I probably should regret- in a fit of grief and rage, not that I'm going to apologize- and she's probably still a little touchy about them. You lot are the prize I get if I jump through her hoops or somethin'." Dan growls. He crosses his arms, glaring at Valerie and baring his fangs. "You should thank me, there's so few ghosts left to bother your precious little town, now."

"What are you talking about?"

"This is a criminal from a different timeline." Valerie says. "And yes, you 'lot' are the unattainable prize for him to strive for. He doesn't deserve the second chance Clockwork is giving him, not when he blew it the first and second and third times he was given second chances, but I guess I'm feeling sentimental. Been too long since you three were in one place, and even now all the focus is on little Danny Fenton." She pops a hip out, resting the hand with the still-open thermos on it. "Ironic."

"Wait, you're saying Clockwork sent you? Why didn't you start out with that." Tucker turns to Danny. "So you're not my Danny? You... You didn't pull a hat trick, come back to us? That's not our Valerie up there either, I don't think, she went for a different suit design last time she wore it."

Dan smiles a little. "Nah, I ain't your Danny. Sorry, Tuck." He lets the Fenton disguise drop, standing in all his glory, hair sparking to life and cape swirling behind him. "Would it help if I said I missed you guys too~?" He lets a hint of sarcasm twist his words, even though they're sincere. Val will probably shock him for it, but he really doesn't care.

"What happened to you?" Jazz asks, staring at his true form. He looks so different, but there's still hints of the Danny she saw seconds before. Mostly in the eyes.

Valerie does shock him for sarcasm. She just loves this little ring/collar accessory Clockwork has him in.

Tucker's face falls for a moment, but then he smiles and nods. "Yeah, where've you been?"

Dan flinches, snarling and glaring at Valerie. "A thermos." He answers flatly, still glaring at the Huntress. 

Jazz steps forward now, and Dan looks down at her. "Danny, what happened to you? Your face..."  
Dan just smiles.

Valerie pulls the mask off to smirk at him smugly, but doesn't shock him at that.

Dan's smile widens when Jazz pouts, but he does answer. "You remember that old Cheesehead, don't you, Jazmine?"

Tucker reaches out for Danny's shoulder, but sees Valerie's thumb hover over the area, and pulls back. "Why were you in the thermos?"

Dan glances at Tucker, teasing tone dropped almost immediately. "For the things I did, plus a few other little micro-aggressions. You'd think a past version of me wouldn't be able to beat me, but here we are." He sneers. 

Jazz frowns. "Cheesehead? Do you mean Vlad?"

"Do you call attempted murder a micro-aggression?" Valerie scoffed.

Tucker reaches out with the arm that he's sure Danny's torso blocks from Valerie's view, and squeezes Danny's forearm reassuringly.

Dan smiles. "Didn't I just, Huntress~?"  
He huffs. "And yeah, Jazmine, I meant Vlad. Who else do we know is an obsessive Packers Fanatic?"

Valerie rolls her eyes. "You're disgusting, Dan."

Tucker squeezed Danny's arm as he squared his shoulders. "Why not leave him here? If Clockwork sent him here, then why not just leave him with us?"

Dan can't help the way his gaze snaps to Tucker. He /wants/ that, suddenly, with all of his being. There's so few things all of him at once wants, but this is one.

Jazz frowns. "Danny never calls me Jazmine, why do you keep-" Her eyes widen. "Wait, are you, are you somehow also...?"

Valerie's eyes narrow and she tenses, flying closer and farther down so that she can be eye to eye with Tucker. She sees the hand on Dan's forearm and gestures at it with the thermos wordlessly. 

Tucker lets go hastily, though he really doesn't want to. He just doesn't want to see Danny hurt again.

"You think he deserves to be here, with people who care about him and don't know about what he's done?" Valerie asks. "And you think Clockwork would just let you keep him without even being asked?"

Dan closes his eyes, and forces that sudden shot of want to go down. Wanting has never gotten him anything or anywhere. He glances back at Valerie. "Are you suggesting they ask the oh-so-wonderful Master of Time, Val?"

"I was implying they think about what they say before they ask it." She says without looking at him. "But if they think that proposing it to Clockwork would end well, then maybe I'll consider bringing them through. What do you say, Foley, Manson? Think you can handle him this time?"

Tucker glances over at Sam, right hand twisting his wedding band nervously.

Sam nods immediately. She'd missed Danny so much, and even if she hadn't been quite ready to try and touch him, she saw the way he was reacting to Tucker. He wanted this as much as they did, and it didn't matter if it wasn't their Danny, he was still a Danny. She steps forward. 

Dan stares at her, frowning. "You'd actually take them to see him?" He probably shouldn't say this, but... "You must be getting /soft/."

"I'm only soft when I'm sure that I'm in the right. As if Clockwork would let you stay with them, Phantom."

Tucker winces and reaches back to grab Sam's hand. "Clockwork knows what's right. He'll let us have Danny back. He isn't our Danny, but he's still Danny."

She turns to him. "You're so naive, even now. No wonder you were that monster's friend." She glances at Dan when she says monster.

Dan just grins at her, baring his teeth. "You were my friend, too, Val. You got no higher moral ground." 

Sam squares her shoulders. "Just take us to him. We'd like to talk it out."

Valerie narrows her eyes. "I was your friend because I didn't know what you could do, because you lied to my face. And the moral high ground? It only seems like moral high ground because they were the gutter and you were the Marianas trench." She activates the thermos, sucking him in and giving her the last word. "Now, come on. I'm wasting my time here when I could be rebuilding my country." She makes the time portal.

Dan sighs as he's sucked in, groaning petulantly the entire time.

Same bites her lip but tugs Tucker forward, she needs to speak with Clockwork.

Clockwork closes the screen he'd been watching, and opens another to check in on young Daniel and his friends. He knows Miss Grey will be back soon, and she'll be bringing guests.

Valerie flies forward, handing Clockwork the thermos and praying he does the right thing and keeps it out of their hands. She pulls off the ring, making sure to hold her finger on the shock button while she does, just for one last chance to hurt Phantom for all that he's done. It doesn't feel like enough. "Clockwork."

Clockwork smiles. "Hello again, Miss Grey. I take it my incentive idea was satisfactory? Would you like a shortcut back to your Amity?"

Sam coughs to get his attention, and Clockwork turns. "In due time, Miss Fenton. In due time."

Valerie purses her lips and pulls off the medallion. "Don't do this to me." She whispers, floating closer to him. "Please, Clockwork. Don't let him go free. You know what he'll do." She pulls back and nods. "I'll go."

Clockwork smiles. "Oh, Miss Grey, you know I only do what's best for the preservation of the Timeline. Having a rogue ghost in the wrong one for anything close to an extended amount of time would cause more headaches than it would be worth." 

Sam frowns, eyes narrowing. That... was he even trying to sound sincere?

Valerie tastes something sour and looks away. "I can't believe this. You're just going to let him destroy another world, aren't you? Or are you going to leave him there long enough for them to realize that they actually don't want him, then break his heart? Either you're doing something crazy or something evil, and I don't like the sound of either one. Get me out of here."

Tucker winces and squeezes Sam's hand at how /sad/ she sounds.

Clockwork forms a portal behind her. "The best thing for the timeline isn't always the most clear choice to an outside observer, Miss Grey." Clockwork reminds her softly. He shifts to his old shape. "Perhaps at least you will be able to recognize that I know what I'm doing when it comes to my job, hmm?"

Sam flinches a little, at Valerie's words. She flinches again at Clockwork's, because that /has/ to be a jab at them, they've doubted Clockwork's judgment before. It ended badly.

Valerie leaves without another word, nervous and scared for her world and theirs. She hopes Clockwork keeps the thermos, keeps his promise.

Tucker lets out a breath. "Danny wasn't really that bad, was he?"

Clockwork hums. "Oh, Dan here... he has done many things that most would find abhorrent. He was dealing with grief and an uncontrollable need to fill a hole in his core, not that it excuses his actions. I could tell you, but... do you really want to know, Mister Fenton?"

Sam frowns, and squeezes Tucker's hand. "What did she mean, destroy 'another' world? Did he actually...?"

Tucker shakes his head. "I don't want to know. I don't care. He's Danny, right?"

"Mostly." Clockwork smiles. "He is only a ghost. There's not an ounce of human left in him."

Tucker looks at Sam. "Does that matter? Do we care?"

Sam thinks. "...No, it doesn't matter. He's still Danny."

Clockwork hums, and offers them two rings, identical to the ones Valerie had been wearing. "These control his collar. Keep him in line, and we'll see where you go from there."

Tucker nods, sliding it onto his right hand's ring finger. It fits perfectly, and his throat tightens. "When did his timeline change? Was he the same as our Danny before then?"

"He made a bad choice, and it... indirectly resulted in most everyone he cared about dying. He broke shortly after." Clockwork summarizes. 

Sam takes the other ring, frowning. "What choice did he make?"

Tucker bit his lip and held out a hand for the thermos.

Clockwork handed the thermos over, still smiling. "He cheated on a test."

Tucker froze, processing it, then started laughing, putting a hand on his chest. "You're kidding, right?" He asks. "Him cheating on a test? He doesn't feel like the type who would, but if he did, of course it would end this badly."

Clockwork hums. "I don't 'kid', Mister Fenton." He turns to look at the timeline Dan came from, image flickering from the rebuilding Amity Park to the smoldering remains of the White House. "Many things conspired to make Dan the way he was, but in the end he was a lesson for a younger him, whose destiny is still being forged. I thought perhaps the two of you would be able to soften his edges, neither of the men whose essence make him up were born evil, hopefully he won't stay this way."

Tucker stopped laughing after a minute, and nodded. "Sorry, yes sir. We'll take care of... Dan, right? Did he really drop the last syllable?"

"He is not just an older version of Daniel Fenton sans his ghost half, Mister Fenton. He is the result of Young Daniel and Mister Masters' ghost halves merging. So yes, he dropped the last syllable."

Tucker nodded. "So, um, how does that work? Or should we get out and figure it out?"

"I could show you what happened, if you like. It was rather traumatizing, Young Daniel did not survive, but I could show you."

Tucker shook his head. "We saw our dead friend once, no repeat performance necessary."

Clockwork hums. "If you wish to know more, ask him yourself. And I would rather you release him outside the tower, he causes quite the ruckus when let out here." Clockwork smiles, and forms a portal to their timeline. "If you are in need of me, my citadel does not drift. It is in the same place in every ghost zone, no matter the time or universe."

Tucker grabs Sam's hand and nods at Clockwork. "Thank you. We... We won't abandon Danny. Dan."

Clockwork smiles softly. "I do hope you won't. There are not many things in the world I regret, but his upbringing and creation is one. Poor thing doesn't know anything but negative emotions. Most ghosts have issues with that. His collar should prevent him from effectively attacking anything, but he can still punch and kick much harder than a human. Be careful."

They nod, and Tucker squeezes Sam's hand. "We will be." Then he glances back at her. "Ready?"

Sam nods, smiling at Clockwork before turning toward the portal. "Yeah, let's go."

They step through, and their family is waiting. Maddie steps forwards immediately, patting their faces and looking them over. "Is he in the thermos?" She asks, pointing down at it. Tucker nods at her, and he smiles. "Yeah, we got him. Dan."

Jazz frowns. "'Dan'? He stopped going by Danny?"

Tucker nods. "He's also apparently um. Not just Danny? But we'll find out later. Can we head home before we let him out? I don't want to sound like a horrible person, but I'm nervous."

Jazz nods. "That's fine. It might be better to do it in private, who knows how people would react to seeing us release a ghost in broad daylight."

Tucker nods, and Maddie looks down at the thermos. "That's not our baby, but we'll see how it goes, right Jack?" She turns to her husband.

Jack smiles. "Yeah, Mads. 'Course we will."

Tucker squeezes Sam's hand again. "You ready to see him again? Like, for longer than a few minutes?"

"Yes. Is it bad to say he was hot? Because he was."

Tucker groans. "He was so hot."

"He was on /fire/." Sam snickers.

"Did you forget how hot Danny was when he was fourteen? Because I forgot how hot Danny was when he was fourteen." Tucker shook his head.

Sam nods. "I /know/. Why did he go with fourteen? It makes me feel dirty but god he was... ugh."

Tucker nods. "Are we pedophiles? He's a grown man, I know that much, but, are we?"

Sam hides her face. "I don't know? God." Jazz coughs.

Tucker looks back at them. They all look uncomfortable, and Tucker blushes. "Let's just, um. Get home."

Jazz rolls her eyes a little, and starts walking toward the Assault Vehicle. "You two are cute."  
Sam blushes and mumbles.

The ride home is quick, but then standing in the living room feels weird. Tucker's hand is on the top of the thermos, but he just. He can't. He's scared. Nervous. Terrified. "Sam?"

Sam reaches over and pops the top off the thermos. "I got you, nerd lord."

When he gets out of the thermos, he was n his knees. He looks around, and can't stop the surprise when he sees Tucker, Sam, Jazmine, Jack, and Maddie. "I... What?"

Tucker squeezes Sam's hand and smiles at Danny. "Welcome home?"

Dan stares at them. "R-really? Seriously?"

Tucker nods. Maddie smiles and leans against Jack's arm.

Dan sits back onto his heels. And then he pauses. "You guys know I'm not just Dannykins, right?"

"Clockwork mentioned it, but it doesn't matter." Tucker shrugs. "You're home man." He pulls away from Sam and opens his arms, stepping until he's in front of Dan.

Dan is up and hugging Tucker before he's really registering what's going on. He might lift the scrawny black kid off his feet, just a little, and mutter "Butter Biscuits" under his breath.

Tucker squeezes his arms around Dan, and then when he gets lifted up he lets out a little sob. "When did you get tall?" He mumbles.

"Hit my growth spurt at 16, Tuck." He grins, fangs glinting. "Why, you want me to be shorter?"

Tucker bit his lip, then shook his head. "No, it's good. I missed you too much to care Dann- Dan. I missed you."

"Never woulda thought I would, but I missed you too." He squeezes Tucker a little before putting him down.

Tucker stumbled back a step, then braced himself on Dan's forearms. "You're real, dude. We were so... So. Just. We missed you, okay? Don't do that again." He steps back again, looking at Sam.

Sam steps forward, and Dan studies her for a second before offering a hug. She's a little more fuzzy, he doesn't remember her as clearly as he'd like, but he knows he cares about her. Vlad liked her, too. 

Sam steps forward, dragging Tucker back into the hug so she could cling to them both.

Tucker wraps an arm around each of their waists and leans his head on Dan's shoulder, smiling. He can hear the rest of the family leaving the room because yes, this is a Danny, but he isn't theirs and they can wait for him to come to them.

Dan sort of leans forward to sniff at Sam, see if he recognizes her scent more. Her scent is familiar, but it smells more like his room than it does anything he associates with her or anyone else. After a minute he steps back, pulling out of the hug and smiling self-consciously. "Sorry, not used to physical contact."

Tucker leaves his arm around Sam a moment too long, then pulls away, shaking his head. "It's okay man. You're okay."

Dan smiles a little. And then he pauses. "Uh, my room exists, right? Or should I go check out one of the mansions?"

"Your room exists. We've all been in it, so it's not all dusty and unusable, but it's up there. Remember the way?" Tucker asks.

Dan snorts. "Couldn't forget if I tried." He pauses again. "Would you rather I look human? I haven't had to in a long time, but I can?"

Tucker glances at Sam. "If you want to?"

Dan shifts back into the 14 year old Danny, smiling at them through his bangs. "Cool." He mimicked the voice to go along with this face, again. It was easier the more he thought about it as a disguise.

Tucker shuddered at the voice. "Dude. You're making me feel old."

Dan snickers. "How old are you two, anyway?"

"My birthday is still a few months away, but Sam here is 26." Tucker elbows her. "We're getting up there, man."

Dan snorts. "I'm 24. Of course, I have no idea how long I was in the thermos."

"Wait, you're younger than me right now?" Tucker asked. "Weird."

Dan shrugs. "Probably." He grins. "Technically I died at 14 and 43, so..."

Tucker blinks. "Wait, 43?"

"Vlad was 43."

"Oh. So, are you like, half Danny half Vlad?" Tucker makes a weird hand gesture.

Dan grinned. "Yeah. I've got a bunch of interesting things from both Cheesehead and Dannykins in here." He taps the side of his head. "Some really fun stuff."

Tucker nods. "Sounds crazy. Is it okay now, though? Like, are you okay?"

Dan shrugs. "Don't feel like burning everything? So I feel pretty good?"

Tucker nods. "Do you want to go upstairs, see your room, see our room?"

Dan raises an eyebrow, smirk slowly curling across his face. His voice drops low, into the one he has usually. "Your room, huh? Aren't you gonna buy me dinner first~?"

Sam laughs, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "We were just gonna order in, been too long to be anywhere but here."

Tucker nods, sliding his hands into his pockets and letting the smirk he usually saves for Sam after he's brushed her hair. "Yeah, we'll buy you dinner but we weren't planning on anything outside of that room. Unless you want to have dinner somewhere..." He pauses, shifting how he stands. "Public? Don't know how much we can eat before we'd have to go home anyways. We're starved, dude."

Dan's grin widens a little, and he cocks out a hip. "Well, if you two really wanna skip dinner, I'm not gonna say no."


End file.
